5 Hair Hacks for Days You Don't Have Time to Wash It

It's the number-one hair request we get from readers: Help me keep my style looking great on the days I don't wash it! So we pulled in Marcus Francis, celebrity stylist for Suave Professionals, and he taught five real women the secret to long-term gorgeousness.

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Make waves on fine hair

Ari Michelson

Her issue: "If I don't do anything, it just goes limp," says Adrienne Kaye, 44, of her fine, straight hair. "So I wash it every other day, and if I curl it, too, the whole process takes over an hour."

Marcus says: "For fine hair, adding a bit of wave not only creates body, but heat sets hair in place, so you'll get a little extra mileage out of your style. A volumizing spray helps too: I misted one all over Adrienne's damp hair, then shook her hair with my fingers as I blow-dried, pulling up the roots for lift." (Marcus used Suave Luxe Style Infusion Volumizing Weightless Blow Dry Spray, $4.99; we also love Phyto PhytoVolume Actif Volumizing Spray, $29.) "Once her hair was dry, I wrapped large sections around a one-inch curling iron. After the waves cooled, I brushed them and had Adrienne flip her head upside down, then sprayed dry shampoo all over the underside, which keeps hair from falling flat."

Adrienne says: ''This look is so easy to do, and the volume holds for almost three days—major for my fine hair."

Help curls stay bouncy

Ari Michelson

Her issue: "I only wash my hair once or twice a week, but my routine—I finger-twist my damp curls—takes almost two hours," says Kahshanna Evans, 41.

Marcus says: "First, mix a dollop of leave-in conditioner with a drop of gel." (We like Matrix Total Results Curl Super Defrizzer Gel, $16.) "Spread the concoction through damp hair to add hold and nix frizz. Next, blow-dry for a few minutes with a diffuser, then let the rest dry naturally or just go to sleep with damp hair—it won't mess up your curls! Once hair is dry, use either a ½- or ¼-inch curling iron on just the outer layer of your curls and also the face-framing ones. When they start to droop, shake your roots to make them springy again."

Kahshanna says: ''My curls had a really full, defined look that lasted until I shampooed again. I loved how fun and fresh it was!"

Switch up a short 'do

Ari Michelson

Her issue: "I live out in the country, so I usually just tousle my hair and go, but I still like it to look pretty," says Rebecca Bratland, 56. "And because my hair is fine, I have to shampoo every other day. It loses volume so fast."

Marcus says: "The less you fuss over short hair, the longer it'll last—just change the part on day two or three. To start, I spritzed a lightweight texturizer throughout Rebecca's just-washed hair." (TryR+Co Rockaway Salt Spray, $25.) "Then I blow-dried it, using my hands to push it toward her face, to the left and then to the right, and to lift up the crown to add height. To finish, I misted it all with dry shampoo. Later on, if your hair falls flat, run a wide-tooth comb through to reactivate the product, then move your part to the opposite side and you'll get back shape and fullness."

Rebecca says: ''The dry shampoo gave me allover body, and moving my part helped me get an extra day out of my style."

Add shape to thick hair

Ari Michelson

Her issue: "My hair is somewhere between straight and wavy, and it's thick. I wash it twice a week at night rather than in the morning, because it takes forever for me to blow it out," says Corin Minier, 30.

Marcus says: "Rather than fighting to straighten her mixed-texture hair, I showed Corin how to balance it. After working a bit of styling cream through her damp hair and quickly blow-drying it, I used a flat iron on two-inch-wide sections of hair. I slid it from just the midsection down, rotating my wrist to create a slight wave; the heat also helps prevent frizz. On no-shampoo days, dab styling cream on the ends to smooth." (Try Suave Luxe Style Infusion Smoothing Weather Proof Cream, $4.99.)

Corin says: ''The flat-iron trick cut my styling time in half! Now my waves look great and frizz-free for four full days—I don't even need more product."

Freshen up your bangs

Ari Michelson

Her issue: "I shampoo every morning," admits Annie Hall, 32. "I work out five days a week, so my bangs get greasy if I go more than a day."

Marcus says: "The trick with bangs is to not put styling products in them; instead, use a blow-dryer on the lowest speed and your fingers to smooth them. Then, when bangs look oily, try this quick cleanup: Mix a little water with a pea-size drop of shampoo in your fingers and rub the mix through your bangs. If your hairline looks frizzy or dirty, work it in there, too. Wet your fingers and smooth them through bangs to rinse; repeat a few times. Then blow-dry them while finger-combing into place. For an even faster fix, mist your bangs with dry shampoo instead, and blast with the dryer for 30 seconds to shape." Try Alterna Cleanse Extend Translucent Dry Shampoo, $22.

Annie says: ''I've been using dry shampoo on my bangs, and now I'm able to go two to three days between washings."

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